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Benzema recalled by France for Euros after nearly 6-year exile

FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP / Getty

Karim Benzema is back.

The Real Madrid striker has made a remarkable return to the French national team, with manager Didier Deschamps ending his exile and including him in the 26-man squad for this summer's European Championship.

Benzema, 33, hasn't represented France since October 2015 after his alleged involvement in a blackmail scandal involving former international teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

Valbuena was targeted by blackmailers in 2015 after they obtained a copy of a sex tape featuring him. Benzema is accused of pressuring the 36-year-old to pay the blackmailers, who threatened to release the video to the public.

The striker, who denies being involved in the scandal, will be on trial from Oct. 20-22 on the charge of complicity in attempted blackmail. Four others are also set to go to trial.

The scandal caused a rift between Benzema and Deschamps, with the forward accusing the French manager of having "bowed to the pressure of a racist part of France" when he was not named to the squad in 2016.

Before his banishment from the national team, Benzema scored 27 times in 81 appearances.

Benzema's return comes a day after he was named the best French player playing in a foreign country; he's played a pivotal role for Zinedine Zidane's title-chasing Real Madrid this season, scoring 22 goals in 33 La Liga matches.

Benzema's inclusion adds yet another star to Deschamps' already frightening squad. Les Bleus, the reigning World Cup champions, will once again be among the favorites for the upcoming Euros.

Full France squad for Euro 2020:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Mike Maignan (Lille), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton), Leo Dubois (Lyon), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Jules Kounde (Sevilla), Clement Lenglet (Barcelona) Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach)

France kicks off its Euro 2020 campaign against Germany on June 15 before taking on Hungary and Portugal in Group F.

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